Mask adapted for use at high altitudes



8 1943- A. H. BULBULIAN 2,327,995

' MASK ADAPTED FOR USE A'I' HIGH ALTITUDES Filed Sept. 22, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 @Wm, H Wm Inventor:

ff. H. BULbULLqFL.

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31, 1943.- A. H. BULBULIAN MASK ADAPTED FOR USE AT- HIGH ALTITUDES Filed Sept. 22, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i Patented Aug. 31, 1943 UNITED STATES PATE MASK ADAPTED FOR USE AT ALTITUDES NT OFFICE HIGH ArthurILBulbulian, Rochester, Minn. Application September 22, 1941, Serial No. 411,871

Claims. (01. 128-205) My invention relates to masks adapted for use at high altitudes and has for itsobject to providea mask structure adapted to cover the face of the aviator wherein oxygen is fed to a rebreathing bag soformed and placed a to make the rebreathing bag substantially a partof the mask 1 itself.

In'such mask structures employed for flying to very high altitudes the marginal ccntour of the mask itself may be so arranged as to engage the sides and top of the nose, the upper and side parts of the. cheeks and under the chin, completely enclosing the face and providing a breathing chamber between the mask body and the face enclosing both the nose and the mouth. To this side of said chamber.

breathing chamber is delivered the i-nhalationl gases and fromthe breathing chamber is expelled the gases of exhalation. Suitable valve mechanism admits and permits expulsion to atmosphere of these inhalation and exhalation gases in desired amounts. The oxygen is nor-, mally supplied directly to a rebreathing bag and the exhalation gases go to this rebreathing bag I specification hereinafter given, and the novel features by which the advantageous results deuntil it is filled with a mixture of oxygen and exhalation gases and thereafter the last part of each exhalation which is most heavily charged with carbon dioxide is expelledthrough the valve mechanism to atmosphere. On inhalation the the valve mechanism atmospheric air is drawn rebreathin bag is first emptied and then through i into the breathingchamber to be mixed with the oxygen.

A difficulty with aviators has been encountered because heretofore it has'been regarded as necessary to have the rebreathing bag and the oxygen supply tube depending from the mask structure, whereit may interfere with the aviators actions, particularly in military aviation, for which this type of mask structure is particularly designed.

Under certain, conditions violent movements on the part of the aviator due to conditions of combat in military aviation or to other causes might catch the bag or thetube and displace or rupture one or both of them with serious results where the flying is at very high elevations. For if elevations of from 30,000 to 35,000 feet are attained,

which is now within the flying range of military aviators, interruption of oxygen supply would quickly bring unconsciousness and. resulting disaster.

It is a principal object of my invention to provide a rebreathing bag construction which will make the rebreathing bag practically a part of the mask itself and to introduce the oxygen into use in a mask structure from behind the aviator and is entirely out of the It a further object of my invention to introduce the oxygen delivering tube at one side of said mask supporting structure and to carry 'said tube to points adjacent the center bottom of the rebreathing bag so that oxygen will always be delivered uniformly to all parts of the rebreathing The niu objects and the advantages in use r my mask structure are recited in detail in the sired ar attained are particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings-illustrating an application of my invention in one form- I Fig. 1 is a front perspective view showing the mask in position as worn. Fig. 2 is afragmentary detail view of one of" the valve casings showing for inhalation thereinto.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation perspective view of the entire mask structure as worn.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3. i

As shown, the mask structure comprises a main body portion lllwhich isormed with a nose enclosing portion ll, side parts l2, I3 for engaging the manner of opening the cheeks of the wearer and a bottom 'part llfor passing-under clearly shown in Fig. 3. A central microphone the chin of thewearer, as

turret I5 is provided which will normally be in front of the mouth of the wearer and two valve turrets l6 and H are disposed symmetrlcally in a lateral position at each side of'the microphone turret. Theentire apparatus will be held on the face ofthe wearer by suitable strappin means I0, I! and 20, 2!, Fig. 1. Within the valve turrets l6 and I! are positioned valvedisc 22, which may be formed of sponge rubber, or may house any desired type of valve mechanism for permitting inlet of air and outlet of exhalation gases during breathing. Partially surrounding the the rebreathing bag from a tub which comes valve turrets l6 and II are outwardly bulged porcorresponding to that disand cumbersome J the short passageways the exhalation gases from the lungs."

2 tions of the mask body 23 and 24 which form passageways 25 and 26. These passageways in the mask of the aforesaid copending application were continued at 21 and 28 to tubular extension members which ultimately united and went to the rebreathing bag. In this invention, however, the parts 21 and 28 are closed, as indicated at 29, Fig. 2. In other respects the mask structure itself as above detailed may be the same as that of the aforesaid copending application.

An opening 30, Figs. 2 and 4, extends through the wall of each of the bulged portions 23 and 24. To this opening on each side is secured by means of a connector member 3|, Fig. 4, a pair of wing-like hollow members 32 and 33. members as shown inlFigs. l and 3 each comprises a base portion 34 by which the connection through opening is made and an inwardlycurved spreader portion 35 of the shape in plan shown in Fig. 3. The rebreathing bag 36 is connected with or actually a continuation of the spreader members 35, being connected therewith by the loop 31, which with the base member 38 provides the expansion part of the rebreathing bag. The members 32, 33 are really a part of the rebreathing bag, being extended at the back in the web 39, which also, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, has the connector button 3| passing through an aperture therein.

Oxygen from a source of supply not shown is delivered through tube 40 to a connector member 4i through the side of extension 33, as best indicated at 42 in Fig. 4. A continuation 44 of tube 40 is carried to a point 45 at or just past the center of the bottom of the rebreathing bag as shown in Fig. 4. A series of openings 46 balances the discharge of oxygen to the rebreathing bag.

From the bottom of the bag as indicated in Figs. 1, 3 and 4 extends a drainage tube 41 which opens through a hole 48, Fig. 4, and is normally closed by a stopper 49. By withdrawing the stopper from time to time any condensation which may accumulate in the rebreathing bag may be permitted to escape.

The advantages of my invention have been substantially indicated in the foregoing specification. Of particular value and use is the organization of a compact highly protective mask structure to which the rebreathing bag is attached in such a way as to make it in effect a part of the mask itself. As inspection of Fig. 1 illustrating the mask as worn clearly shows, the organization in'its entirety is little more bulky than the mask without the rebreathing bag would be, and yet all parts of the entire assemblage are so positioned that they cannot in any way impede or interfere with the movements of the hands and arms of the aviator. The oxygen supply tube coming from behind over the shoulder of the aviator also is positioned so as to be entirely away from any of the aviators movements.

Another highly important advantage resides in between the breathing chamber within the mask body and the rebreathing bag. The breathing chamber being relatively large and over a considerable part of the face of the weareris heated to some degree by radiation from the face of the wearer but principally by These gases will first go to. the rebreathing bag and because of the short passage thereto will tend to heat the rebreathing bag and the incoming oxygen (which may be very cold), and, further, the re- These breathing bag being directly in contact with a portion of the mask there will be less radiation and more constant tempering of the gases of inhalation. The manner in which the oxygen is delivered to the rebreathing bag thoroughly distributes it to the warm exhaled gases, and the short passages from the rebreathing bag into the breathing chamber at each side thereof and from each side of the rebreathing bag, give a uniformly mixed oxygen and rebreathed gases. Further the passages to and from the rebreathing bag facilitate quick filling and emptying of the re'-' breathing bag, which makes possible exceptionally easy and natural breathing.

I claim:

1. In a mask adapted for use in high altitudes, a mask body having marginal portions for contacting the face so as to enclose and form a breathing chamber extending over the nose and mouth, a rebreathing bag having longer and shorter dimensions secured at the ends of the longer dimension to the mask body so as to be held transversely against it and under the chin of the wearer, passages extending from the mask and into the rebreathing bag at each end thereof for establishing communication with said breathing chamber, and an oxygen supply tube adapted to extend over the shoulder and from behind the wearer, said supply tube being carried into the bag and along it to a point adjacent the center of its longer dimension.

2. In a mask adapted for use in high altitudes,

a mask body having marginal portions for contacting the face so as to form a breathing chamber extending over the nose, mouth and chin, a rebreathing bag having longer and shorter dimensions and having substantially T-shaped extensions toward the ends of the longer dimension, the shanks of said extensions being secured to the sides of the mask body so as to hold the rebreathing bag transversely against the chin-enclosing part of the mask body and under-the chin of the wearer, openings passing through said extensions from each end of the rebreathing bag and into the breathing chamber, and means for introducing oxygen directly into the rebreathing bag as so held and positioned.

3. In a mask adapted for use in high altitudes, a mask body having marginal portions for contacting the face so as to form a breathing chamber extending over the nose, mouth and chin, a rebreathing bag having longer and horter dimensions and having substantially T-shaped extensions toward the endsof the longer dimension, the shanks of said extensions being secured to the sides of the mask body so as to hold the rebreathing bag transversely against the chin-enclosing part of the mask body and under the chin of the wearer, openings passing through said extensions from each end of the rebreathing bag and into the breathing chamber, and an oxygen supply tube adapted to extend over the shoulder.

and from behind the wearer, said supply tube being carried into the bag and along it to a point adjacent the center of its longer dimension.

4. A mask adapted for use in high altitudes comprising a mask body having marginal portions for contacting the face so as to enclose and form the breathing chamber extending over the nose and mouth, inlet openings spaced apart at opposite sides of the mask body, connectors having passageways extending from said inlet openings, an elongated rebreathing bag supported at its ends by said connectors and held thereby close under the chin of the wearer and communicat- I 2,827,995 ing with the breathing chamberthrough the pasatopposite sides of the mask body, T- shaped con- 10 nectors torming passageways extending from said inlet openings, an elongated rebreathing bag i'ormed integral with and supported at its ends by said connectors and held thereby closed under the chin of the wearer, and communicating at its ends with the breathing chamber through said passageways, and an oxygen supply tube extending into and to a point substantially midway between said connectors.

ARTHUR H. BULBULIAN. 

